Mental Focus and Your Unique Biology

Lately I’ve found myself bouncing between emails, texts, social media messages and voicemails. Not to mention the impromptu, “Do you have a minute” conversations from colleagues, personal needs and the various welcomed distractions we call life. These constant interruptions and reprioritization of tasks can feel overwhelming and unmanageable. But I encourage you to listen to your body and your biology to work towards proactivity in place of reactivity. I know, easier said than done with technology and instant accessibility. But simply being busy is VERY different from being productive. Not all hours of the day are equal, and our biology varies by individual.

To begin, let’s talk about peak hours of productivity. For me it’s early morning. My daily routine begins with gym time at 5 am so I can earn my dose of endorphins. Afterwards, I magically transform into the Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales. I zip about finishing task after task until thirst, hunger or the el baño beckons me. I feel fantastic! Then my focus and energy peaks until about 2 pm. For you it may occur at 11 am or at 3 pm. Or maybe you’re a night owl and hit your spike at 9 pm.

After lunch, I begin to resemble Yogi Bear resurrecting after a long winter in hibernation. Yawns, eyelids slamming shut and a general lack of energy. Ok, perhaps the hyperbole is exaggerated, but this is seriously how I feel. Beyond distracted and ineffective. Afterall, work doesn’t end at 1 pm. It’s closer to 6ish on a good day and then the hour-long commute home. Thankfully, I have discovered antidotes for this presentation of lethargy and slumber actually work!

Now bear with me as I get a pinch nerdy and “sciency” on you. Pay attention to your biology, your body clock or your ultradian rhythms. Unlike the circadian rhythm that is a 24-hour cycle, the ultradian rhythm refers to shorter periods of brain activity throughout your day. Generally, these daily ultradian cycles are alternating periods of high frequency brain activity, about 90 minutes, followed by lower-frequency brain activity, about 20 minutes. (Thibodeaux, 2017)

Let’s talk about your brain chemistry for a moment, specifically potassium and sodium. These two primary electrolytes go together like yin and yang in our bodies. They maintain fluid balance in cells, blood plasma and extracellular fluid. Potassium is found primarily inside cells, and sodium is the main electrolyte in extracellular fluid. Scientists believe the delicate balance of potassium and sodium ultimately controls our rhythms and cycles. Our brains use these electrolytes for electrical signals and to transport other chemicals in and out of brain cells. Now, here's where it gets cool – and why it affects our productivity.

The brain is kind of a resource hog. It uses more energy than any other organ in the body, draining upwards of 20% of your available energy. Kind of like a space heater that trips a circuit breaker when you have too many appliances pulling energy. When you are focused and your work is intellectually challenging, your brain is functioning in a high brain wave state. This naturally disrupts your yin and yang balance of sodium and potassium. But instead of tripping the fuse or creating an electrical fire, the brain detects this imbalance and downshifts, moving toward lower brain wave frequencies for a break. Ever feel foggy or lose your ability to concentrate? Yep – you just tripped your electrolyte circuit breaker. The good news is, once your brain has had time to restore energy and ratio levels, the haze passes and you're ready to charge at your work again.

Pretty, cool, huh? But there’s a cost to ignoring your ultradian rhythms. Certainly, you’ve experienced the flight or fight stress response a time or two in your life. Remember that spider that dropped down on you in the shower when your eyes were closed? How about the bee in your car as you’re driving 80 mph on the freeway? My personal favorite is the death-diving moth who commits the unspeakable in the dark of the night with the vibration of those chalky wings towards the only source of light. My iPhone in my face, just as I’m drifting off to sleep. Every night. But seriously, each time your electrolyte balance is tripped, as part of your natural survival mechanisms, your fight-or-flight response causes the brain to become less active and your ability to think critically is impaired. You lose the ability to focus, become hyper alert and anxious.

Although it can be challenging to fight the cultural constructs in your workplace to ignore the physical signs of your circuit breaker electrolyte imbalance, start with small changes. Here are some of the methods I’ve found extremely helpful as I continue to learn to listen to my ultradian rhythms.

o Nap time - when you start to feel your focus draining, grab your keys and take a 10-20 minute nap in your car or maybe your employer provides quiet spaces or nap pods!

o Email sprint - set your demanding work aside and shift your attention to something requiring less cognitive energy. Check email and delete away!

o Get physical - take a lap through your building, walk up and down a few flights of stairs, or better yet, take a walk outside. Sunshine and fresh air are highly underrated.

o Refuel – eat frequent small meals with balanced macronutrients of carbs, protein and healthy fats. And don’t forget to hydrate with plenty of water.

o Relax - kick back in your chair with your noise cancelling headphones and some relaxing music. Put a “do not disturb” sign up if necessary.

Thankfully and finally I have carefully forged the ability to laser focus on my tasks at hand. Through years of practice, many failures, trial and error and of course some serious discipline I am in control of my time. Call it a gift or a curse or perhaps wisdom through experience, learning to listen to my body and focus is lifechanging.

Remember to pay attention to your body and work with it. The rewards might surprise you. Best of luck to you in your productivity and health, both mental and physical. You were hired because of your unique talents and abilities. Be sure to nurture them so you can continue to grow and progress. Now get to it!